BROWN GIVES PELS LIFT TRAUMA INTERVENTION Gulf Breeze product Kyle Brown plays a big Caring, unselfish volunteers are there role for minor league team, SPORTS, 1C when needed during crisis, LIFESTYLES, 1C See Page B1 50¢ YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER July 29, 2010 CRUDE AWAKENING ‘I believe I can fly’ ‘Sign-Gate’ Week 14 / Day 101 blows up in Bonnie fizzles; House race cap nears ■ Broxson camp tapes opponent removing ■ Local tourism, School Board, roadside campaign signs fishing industries still Commission waiting for storm to pass Doug Broxson, a candidate for state representative, claims candidates his opponent has stolen cam- BY SCOTT PAGE paign signs from public property share ideas Gulf Breeze News [email protected] in Milton – a charge that BY PAM BRANNON The winds seem to have appears to be veri- Gulf Breeze News shifted, so to speak, for Gulf oil fied by secretly [email protected] crisis response efforts lately. recorded video- Candidates for several But affected Gulf coast indus- tape. races from school board tries continue to tread water – Greg Brown to governor of Florida waiting to be rescued. Jr., who faces Brown Jr. appeared and shared their “It’s not going to be a normal Broxson in the opinions during Monday summer,” said Kate Wilkes, Aug. 24 Repub- night’s election forum at executive director of Santa lican Primary for Calvary Chapel Church. Rosa County Tourism Florida House The event, sponsored Development. “But we’re not District 1, was by the Gulf Breeze Area going to give up.” captured on film Saturday night Chamber of Commerce See WEEK 14 , Page 5A allegedly remov- Government Affairs Broxson ing Broxson Committee, came less campaign signs near a busy than a month before the intersection in Milton. The Aug. 24 primary, which Recovery footage was posted on the will set the stage for the YouTube Internet site. Nov. 2 general election. Leisys celebrate 93rd The Santa Rosa County Candidates answered a will be Sheriff’s Office was investigat- series of public-submitted ing whether Brown broke the questions selected by the birthday by parasailing event committee. Some drawn out law by removing another candi- date’s campaign signs, which See FORUM, Page 2A 27, 2010.” It was signed by Mary and BY BETTY ARCHER ALLEN See SIGNGATE, Page 2A ■ Art and witnessed by Diane and Jim Conditions are like Gulf Breeze News January in July for area [email protected] Arnold, Marny and Don Needle, Bea tourism sector and Jack Voisinet, Trish Tierny and On Monday, July 19, Art Leisy and Jayne Atkins. his wife, Mary, commemorated “anoth- This contract was written in fun. But County last in 2010-11 BY VICI PAPAJOHN er year of survival” by going parasail- much to Art and Mary’s surprise, Gulf Breeze News ing over Santa Rosa Sound. Art Leisy Marny Needle had saved this special [email protected] state schools funding turned 93 on June 27, but he delayed napkin contract and presented it to Things were looking good his parasailing three weeks. them on Art’s 93rd birthday. So Art, ■ Apparent low cost of student funding equal to that of What prompted Leisy to do this? being a man of his word, took Mary for Northwest Florida in early living contributes to Okaloosa County, the additional spring, but they took a nose Last year, two of his friends, Diane parasailing. money to local district coffers dive within days of the Arnold and Marny Needle, went for a Again, a group of friends went along per-student allocation would be $6.6 million. Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, a parasail to commemorate a special for the ride and took pictures to honor Instead, Santa Rosa ranks fact that University of West birthday. A number of friends went this occasion. BY PAM BRANNON dead-last among Florida’s 67 Florida economist Dr. Rick along for the boat ride. “It was really a nice experience for Gulf Breeze News school districts in state funding. Harper says is well supported At the time, Art Leisy was 92 but he me,” Art said. “I got to see Pensacola [email protected] Susan McCole of the Santa with data. said that when he turned 93, he and his Beach, the National Seashore and even If Santa Rosa County Rosa School District’s financial “What are the economic wife, Mary, would also parasail. some of Pensacola.” Schools received the same office presented the grim, tenta- affects of the oil spill?” Harper To hold him to this promise, the The trip was a little more nerve- amount of state funding per stu- tive budget for the 2010-11 challenged. “It’s January in July group wrote out a good-natured con- wracking for Mary. “I was uneasy at dent as Escambia County will school year during last week’s for our tourism sector, and there tract on a paper napkin. It read: “Mary first,” she confessed, “but once we got this coming school year, Santa school board meeting. has been a trickle-down effect and Art Leisy plan and agree to parasail going I really enjoyed it.” “We are the cheapest place to Rosa would receive $7.4 mil- for every tourism dollar lost.” together on Art’s 93rd birthday on June – More photos, page 4B lion more than scheduled. live in the state, according to See RECOVERY, Page 5A If Santa Rosa received per- See BUDGET, Page 3A INSIDE ON NEWSSTANDS NOW WEEKEND Weather-plus Calendar . .2A Lifestyles . .1B Classifieds . .3D Obituaries . .7A Community . .2-8A Opinion . .6A Crossword . .3B Police Report . .2A home! FRI 7/30 SAT 7/31 SUN 8/1 MON 8/2 Faith . .7A Schools/Sports . .1-8C SCATTERED ISOLATED ISOLATED SCATTERED Fire Reports . .2A Senior Scene . .4B your STORMS STORMS STORMS STORMS Home and Garden . .3D Talk of the Town . .4B hi 92/lo 81 hi 94/lo 82 hi 92/lo 81 hi 92/lo 80 rain: 40% rain: 30% rain: 30% rain: 40% “Mailing Statement on Opinion Page” FOUR SECTIONS, 24 PAGES | VOL. 9, NO. 30 | JULY 29, 2010 ISLAND NEWS, – Page 1D Call 932-8986 today Call 932-8986 today SEA TURTLE EGGS MOVED FROM SANDY NESTS Enjoy your community paper community your Enjoy mailed directly to mailed directly GULF BREEZE NEWS (850) 932-8986 www.gulfbreezenews.com 2 A July 29, 2010 GULF BREEZE NEWS FORUM: Candidates differ on FCAT effectiveness Continued from page 1A Breeze candidates are unopposed, while Thursday, July 29 others will be non-partisan or SRC School Board 1st Thursday, write-in hopefuls in the general Public Hearing 6:30 p.m., August 5 election. District Headquarters, 5086 Here are the candidates and Canal Street, Milton Blackwater Soil and races keenest on Santa Rosans’ Water Conservation Saturday, July 31 District Supervisors minds: City of Gulf Breeze Budget Board 7:30 a.m., Workshop 9 a.m., City Hall, 6285 Dogwood Drive, School Board 1070 Shoreline Drive, Gulf Milton District 5 Breeze Tourist Development Monday, August 2 North End Committee Note: Incumbent Ed Gray (Cancelled) not on the ballot.) Gulf Breeze City Council ■ SRC Zoning Board of Tom Naile of Gulf Breeze 6:30 p.m., City Council Adjustments 5:30 p.m., – 29-year resident of Santa Rosa Pam Brannon/Gulf Breeze News Chamber, City Hall, 1070 County Administrative County; married 47 years with From left, School Board District 3 opponents Diane Coleman and Carol Boston and District Shoreline Drive, Gulf Breeze Center, Commissioner's three children; active member of 5 candidates Tom Naile and Scott Peden listen to a question posed by moderator Jim Tuesday, August 3 Board Room, 6495 Caroline St. Ann Catholic Church, Gulf Nitterauer during Monday night’s election forum at Calvary Chapel Church in Gulf Breeze. Street, Milton Breeze Chamber of Commerce, Rosa County Schools; business dren in Santa Rosa schools; other funding out there besides Marine Advisory 5 p.m., Tuesday, and Oriole Beach School County Administrative Center, owner; member Board of president/owner of Holley Dirt taxes, and by selling the excess Commissioner's Board Room, Advisory Council. Served as co- Directors Florida School Board Company, Inc. lands and identifying other 6495 Caroline Street, Milton August 10 chair of the Little Red ■ Association.; member Jim Melvin of Milton, funds available like from sur- Gulf Breeze Development Navarre Area Architectural Schoolhouse project. Enlisted in Legislative Commission Florida Republican – age 65; retired charges we could charge, we Review Board 6:30 p.m., City Review Board 3 p.m., Navarre the U.S. Navy in 1958, rising to Board of Education; this year’s USAF; retired certified public could build a new courthouse.” Council Chamber, City Hall, Visitor's Center, 8543 Navarre Lt. Commander before leaving local school board chair; mem- accountant Esser said, “We should defi- 1070 Shoreline Drive, Gulf Parkway, Navarre the Navy in 1982. ber Santa Rosa School District ■ Mark Goode of Navarre, nitely use surcharges on filings Breeze Wednesday, August 11 ■ Scott Peden of Gulf Breeze Transportation & Safety Republican – age 41; 15 years and such. I have experience in Wednesday, August 4 - age 50, married with three chil- Committee. military service U.S. Army and land development and construc- Tourist Development dren. Wife Renee Carr teaching ■ Carol Boston of Navarre Army National Guard including tion, and for about $100,000 Gulf Breeze Chamber of South End Committee 9 at Gulf Breeze Elementary for 21 – age 45, military spouse, moth- Desert Storm/Desert you could get a courthouse done Commerce Governmental a.m., Navarre Visitors' Center, years. Career – 25 years in er of two; substitute teacher in Shield/Afghanistan; local law from design and plans to build- Affairs Committee 4 p.m., 8543 Navarre Parkway, telecommunications industry, Chamber Conference Room, Navarre Santa Rosa County Schools; enforcement 12 years; on Board ing it if you built it on the same 409 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf with 20 years experience in man- sales and marketing profession- of Directors for Holley-Navarre site it is now.